List of Frankish Kings

The following list of Frankish Kings is one of several Wikipedia lists of incumbents.

The Frankish kingdoms were ruled by two main dynasties, the Merovingians (who established the realm) and later the Carolingians. A timeline of Frankish rulers is difficult since the realm was, according to old Germanic practice, frequently divided among the sons of a leader upon his death and then eventually reunited. For more detailed explanations, see the Franks article.

Table of contents

1 Merovingians
2 Carolingians
3 Related articles
4 For further reading

Merovingians

Merovech 447-458

Childeric I 458-481

Clovis I 481-511
Upon Clovis' death, the kingdom was split among his four sons.

Childebert I 511-558 (Paris)

Clotaire I 511-561 (Soissons)

Chlodomer 511-524 (Orleans)

Theuderic I 511-534 (Reims)

Theudebert I 534-548 (Reims)

Theudebald 548-555 (Reims)

Clotaire I 511-561
Clotaire (of Soissans) eventually took over the other three kingdoms after the deaths of his brothers (or their successors). After his own death, the kingdom was once again divided into Neustria (in the west), Burgundy, and Austrasia (in the east).

Charibert I 561-567 (Neustria)
Chilperic I 567-584 (Neustria)

Guntram 561-592 (Burgundy)

Sigebert I 561-575 (Austrasia)
Childebert II, (570-595), 575-595 (Austrasia)
Theudebert II 595-612 (Austrasia)
Theuderic II 612-613 (Austrasia)
Sigebert II 613 (Austrasia)

Clotaire II 584-629

Charibert II 629-632

Chilperic I 632

Dagobert I 632-639

Clovis II 639-658 (Neustria)
Clotaire III, (652-673), 658-673 (Neustria)

Sigebert III 639-656 (Austrasia)
Dagobert II 656-661 (Austrasia)

Theuderic I 673, 679-691

Dagobert II 676-679 (Austrasia)

Childeric II 673-675

Clovis II 675-676

Clovis III 691-695

Childebert II 695-711

Dagobert III 711-715

Chilperic II 715-720

Theuderic II 720-737

Childeric III 742-751

Carolingians

The Carolingians initially were Mayors of the Palace under Merovingian kings in the sub-kingdom of Neustria and later in the reunited Frankish realm:

Arnulf of Metz
Pippin of Landen, (580-640), or Pippin I, the Elder* 628-639
Pippin of Herstal, (640-714), or Pippin II* 687-714
Charles Martel, (690-724), * 714-741
Carloman, (716-754), * 741-747
Pippin III, (714-768), the Short* 747-751

When Pippin III became king, the Carolingians succeeded the Merovingian dynasty:

Pippin the Short, (714-768), 751-768
Carloman 768-771
Charlemagne, (742-814), 771-814
Louis the Pious, (AD 778-840), 814-840

The Frankish kingdom was then divided with the Treaty of Verdun in 843 among the sons of Louis the Pious. The following table lists only the members of the Carolingian dynasty in the three subdivisions, which are the kernels of later France and the Holy Roman Empire, each with different ruling dynasties.

West Franks (eventually France)

Lotharingia

East Franks (to become the Holy Roman Empire)

Names marked (*) are Robertians and (**) are from the house of Boso -- both were distantly related to the Carolingians.

Charles the Bald, (823-877), 843-877 Emp. 875
Louis the Stammerer, (846-879), 877-879
Carloman, King of the West Franks, (died 884), 879-884 (South)
Charles the Fat 884-887 Germany 876-887 Emp. 881
Odo, Count of Paris, (died 866), * 888-898
Charles the Simple, (879-929), 898-922
Robert, (865-923), * 922-923
Rudolph, Duke of Burgundy** 923-936
Louis IV, (914-984), 936-954
Lothar 954-986
Louis V, the Indolent 986-987

After this, the Capetian dynasty ruled France. For the continuation, see the list of French monarchs.

Lothar 795-855, Emperor 817-855
Louis II, (825-875), 825-875, Emperor 855-875
Lothar II 835-869
Zwentibold 870/1-900 son of Arnulf of Carinthia by a concubine

Louis II had only daughters, one of whom, Ermengard, married Boso of Provence, thus providing the family connection for Rudolph of Burgundy's claim to the throne.

Louis the German, (804-876), 843-876
Carloman (830-880) (Bavaria)
Louis III 876-882(North)
Charles the Fat 876-887 (South, then all) Emp. 881
Arnulf of Carinthia 887-899 Emp. 896
Louis the Child, (893-911), 899-911

After this, Conrad of Franconia ruled from 911-918, and was followed by the Saxon (Ottonian) kings, which is commonly considered the beginning of the Holy Roman Empire. For the continuation, see the list of German Kings and Emperors.

Franks (main history of Frankish kingdoms)

For further reading

The history of France as recounted in the "Grandes Chroniques de France," and particularly in the personal copy produced for King Charles V between 1370 and 1380 that is the saga of the three great dynasties, the Merovingians, Carolingians, and the Capetian Rulers of France, that shaped the institutions and the frontiers of the realm. This document was produced and likely commissioned during the Hundred Years' War, a dynastic struggle between the rulers of France and England with rival claims to the French throne. It should therefore be read and considered carefully as a source, due to the inherent bias in the context of its origins.
The Cambridge Illustrated History of France - Cambridge University Press
The Origins of France: Clovis to the Capetians 500-1000 by Edward James ISBN 0333270525
Late Merovingian France: History and Hagiography, 640-720 (Manchester Medieval Sources); Paul Fouracre (Editor), Richard A. Gerberding (Editor)ISBN 0719047919
Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: Merovingian Dynasty: [1].
Medieval France: An Encyclopedia , eds. W. Kibler and G. Zinn. New York: Garland Publishing, 1995.